All language subtitles for Perry Mason S04E02 The Case of the Credulous Quarry.DVDRip.NonHI.cc.en.CBS

Well, I'll tell you
bluntly, Dick,

you haven't the
ghost of a chance

of getting the estate money
before the three years are up.

I went over the
whole thing again

with the trustees this morning.

Yeah, I kind of thought so.

Just how bad is it?

You know how it must
be bad if I come to you.

My mother needs care, Everett.

She needs that sanitarium
and a series of operations.

It'll cost $15,000.

Well... I wish I'd been able

to get a better settlement
on that accident.

But I did the best I could.

I know you did.

There was never any
question about that.

Thanks, Ev.

Uh, Dick.

Things have been
pretty good with me lately.

Nothing sensational, but...

Well, my practice has
been looking up and...

Well, I'm making an
important step soon, so...

That's wonderful, Ev, I...

Are you suggesting that
you'll lend me the money?

Well, you see, I'd like to think

that if I ever got in a jam

someone would come along
and want to help me out.

Thanks, Everett.

Come to the house tonight.

Fine.

Eight thirty will be all right?

You better make it 9.

Nine o'clock. Right.

Yes, Miss Winslow.

I told you I do not want
to talk to Miss Austin!

Hello.

Helen Austin?

No, she's out of
her mind. No, I...

Kill herself.

All right. All right. I'll be
there in a few minutes.

Everett? What happened?

It's Helen Austin. My
lights aren't working.

It was an accident!

It's her head.

She's dead.

I got this phone call from
the bartender at the Oasis Inn

that she was
threatening to kill herself,

and I'd better get
right over there.

Who is she, Everett?

Her name is
Austin. Helen Austin.

I've been going out with
her until just recently.

Oh, Dick, I'm in trouble.

Why? It was an
accident, you said.

My fiancée, her family...

I promised them I
wouldn't see Helen anymore

they'll never believe she
wasn't here visiting me.

Oh, what a mess! My career,

my whole future ruined
by a crazy thing like this.

Ev. What?

I'll take care of this for you.

What? I'll put her in my car.

I'll take her to a
street away from here.

Then I'll call the police and...

I'll tell them I was driving by
and saw her on the pavement.

A hit and run accident.

You'd do that for me?

You were going to give me
$15,000 just out of friendship.

It won't work,
Dick. Well, the car...

You know how the police can
prove a car was in an accident.

All right. You put it in your
garage until tomorrow morning.

Then you take it to
the outskirts of town

and you run it into
a telephone pole.

When the garage fixes it,

there won't be
any evidence left.

But... Look, I know, legally,

it isn't right.

But nothing and
nobody will be hurt

by doing it this way.

Well, it... It was an accident.

All right.

I've got your money
here too. In cash.

A-And Dick...

And look, I want you to
know if anything goes wrong,

when it comes right down
to it, I'll make a clean breast

of the whole thing. I'll
tell what really happened.

Nothing's going to go wrong.

Coming east.

Time, 9:17.

Saw the body
lying in the street?

Yeah.

No other cars observed on scene.

You immediately
called the precinct.

That's right.

You didn't touch her?
Just to see if she was dead.

Okay, Mr. Hammond.

If we need anything
else, we'll get in touch.

All right, officer.

Richard Hammond? Yes.

It's a good thing you put
in the alarm when you did.

Seems there was
little damage done.

Neither one of the
cars was burned.

Hello, this is Richard Hammond.

I wanna talk to Everett Dorrell.

Oh.

Oh, never mind. Tell him
I'll see him in his office.

Is he in? Good
morning, Mr. Hammond.

Do you mean is Mr. Dorrell in?

No, he isn't.

Uh, may I take a message?

This is personal.
Now where is he?

Well, I believe he's in court.

You may wait here if you'd like.

No, thanks. I'll go
to the Hall of Justice.

What courtroom is he in?

I'm sorry,

I can't tell you
that, Mr. Hammond.

I do suggest...

Is he avoiding me?

Oh, excuse me. Just a second.

Mr. Hammond, Mr. Richard
Hammond, isn't it?

Yes?

I'm Clara Thorpe.

I lived with Helen
Austin, I'm her aunt.

I'm glad I caught you.

Oh, excuse me.

Just a second, Mr. Hammond.

How do you know who I am? Oh.

I know you all right.

What is it? What do you want?

I want that $15,000.

What $15,000?

The money Helen took with her

when she left the
apartment last night.

They say you found her on
the street when that car hit her.

Well, the 15,000 was gone.

So I want it back.

How did you know
about the $15,000?

I told you, I'm her aunt.

Oh, no.

I mean the 15...

Who put you up to this?

What about the money?
Are you going to turn it over?

No.

Okay,

if that's the way you want it.

What am I to think?

I find Dorrell's car, the
one that was in the accident,

in my garage.

Somebody sets fire to the place,

they call the fire
department using my name,

and the fire's put out

just in time to call
attention to both cars.

Then there's this
Clara Thorpe woman.

How'd she know
about the $15,000?

The exact amount that
Everett gave me in cash.

Unless he told
her about it and is...

using her to get the money back?

Then you do believe your lawyer
friend is double-crossing you.

Why can't I reach him?

Why is he avoiding me?

Mr. Hammond,

if the situation
is as you put it,

your position, both
morally and legally,

is indefensible. Yes, I know.

You understand the authorities

will have to be apprised
of what you've told me?

Yes, I understand that.

Maybe there are no
mitigating circumstances in law,

but there are in my life.

When I looked at Everett, with
the dead woman lying there...

There was just
nothing else to do,

except offer to to
do what I did for him.

If you hadn't
offered, do you think

he would've suggested it?

I don't know.

But he did have
the 15,000 in cash

to give you right then? Yes.

Was your need for the
money vital, Mr. Hammond?

About a year and a half
ago my mother and sister

were in an automobile accident.

My sister was killed.

My mother's a hopeless invalid,

in need of constant care.

The accident
involving your mother,

did Dorrell handle
the legal part of it?

Yes.

The other car was
driven by some woman.

Apparently there was
carelessness on both sides.

I always thought that
Everett did the best he could,

but it didn't have much result.

Mr. Mason,

will you represent me?

Yes. I'll look into it.

Yes, Gertie?

Thank you. She still
can't reach Everett Dorrell.

But she did find out
he is not in court today.

Now you see?

Please keep trying
to reach him, Della.

Get hold of Paul Drake.

I want him to check
on Mr. Everett Dorrell.

He is our new neighbor
down the hall, isn't he?

Mm-hm.

I'd like to know about his
romance with Helen Austin,

or any other of his romances.

Tell Paul to look into
that telephone call

from the bartender
at the Oasis Inn.

All right.

What do you want
me to do, Mr. Mason?

You have that, uh,
$15,000 with you?

No sir. It's at home.

Then we'll go to your home.

What for? Because
you left the money there

and because you're vulnerable.

Lieutenant.

Perry.

You Mr. Hammond?

Yes. I'm Richard Hammond.
Lieutenant Tragg. Homicide.

I understand you had
a fire here this morning.

Did you say homicide?

Yes, I did.

Uh, personal friend,
Mr. Hammond?

As a matter of
fact, no, lieutenant,

but we're not here on a
matter involving homicide,

at least not that we know of.

But you suspect.

Can we go in, Mr. Hammond?

A moment, lieutenant,
what brings you here?

Well, the same thing
that brings you here, Perry.

What's that? The
strange coincidence

of Mr. Hammond reporting
a hit-run accident last night,

his own garage set
on fire this morning,

and a missing $15,000
from the accident victim.

Get an anonymous tip
on the money, lieutenant?

Anonymous? No.

It came from a
Miss Clara Thorpe,

the dead girl's aunt.

Do you have an
autopsy report yet?

I expect it by the time
I get back downtown.

Then you just suspect murder?

I guess I'm the gloomy type.

Well, let's have a look
inside, eh, Mr. Hammond?

I hate to be
technical, lieutenant,

but you'll need
a search warrant.

Oh, I'm glad you mentioned that.

Mr. Hammond?

Oh, I understand that the
fire did practically no damage.

Yes. That's right.

You ever see that, uh, dead
woman before, Hammond?

No.

Hello.

Yes, he is.

It's your secretary, Mr. Mason.

Thanks.

Hello.

Uh, Mr. Everett
Dorrell is in his office.

He said it would be a
privilege to talk to you.

No, no we didn't reach him,

he called us. I had left word.

All right, Della. Thanks.

Now, Perry, are we going
to have to do it the hard way,

or is Mr. Hammond going
to produce the $15,000?

Why don't you ask
Mr. Hammond, lieutenant?

There's $15,000
in the strong box

in the top desk drawer.

Take a look in the
garage, sergeant.

Mr. Hammond, you'll have
to come downtown with me.

A tremendous
amount of bad publicity

can come out of this, Everett.

I think it's safe to say that

if you are associated
with it in any way,

your career, at
least in our circle,

would be finished
before it really got started.

But Mr. Claridge,
they've arrested Richard.

They haven't arrested him.
They're questioning him.

But I promised to make a
clean breast of the whole thing

if he got into trouble.

What do you mean a
clean breast of it, Ev?

Would you tell all
about Helen Austin?

Well, yes. Of course.

All?

Everett, I don't want to
be oppressive about this.

I believe it's
something you have

to make up your own mind about.

But you're inviting
Barbara and me along

on your confession
with it's attendant horrors.

Frankly, I don't
know if we'll go along.

An ultimatum, Mr. Claridge?

I've already called
Perry Mason's office.

Mason will crucify you.

Barbara, how can I
renege on my word?

Do you think you will solve this
Richard Hammond's problems

by confessing your part?

But I can help him.

Well, anyway, Dick
will talk. He'll involve me.

You can deny whatever he says.

It's your word against his or...

Can he prove anything?

I don't know.

No, I guess not.

I can understand your
sense of honor, Everett,

why you want to
tell the truth now.

It was embarrassing
in the first place.

Now the whole mess
is being compounded.

That's right.

And I can understand
Dad's position.

He has certain
standards to maintain.

Oh, I know it isn't
fashionable to be so concerned

with how things look,
what people think...

Yet scandal to him
isn't fashionable either.

What about you, Barbara?

What do you think?

Everett, I don't think
you and I ought to put

the burden of
decision on Barbara.

I certainly won't.

Barbara will do as I say,

and I think you know how I feel.

Yes?

Mr. Perry Mason
to see Mr. Dorrell.

Miss Winslow,

I have nothing to
say to Mr. Mason.

Miss Winslow,

would you please
tell Mr. Dorrell

that he has a choice.
He can talk with me now,

or later from the witness stand.

He heard you, Mr. Mason.

Mr. Mason?

Forgive Everett's
apparent rudeness,

but since he is not involved
in Hammond's difficulties,

there is little to discuss.

Who are you, sir?

I'm Marvin Claridge.

Everett's prospective
father-in-law.

Are you also his advisor?

When necessary, Mr. Mason.

When necessary.

Good day, sir.

Hm.

So Helen Austin wasn't
at the Oasis Inn last night,

and there was no telephone
call from the bartender.

Nope. Oh, I checked the romance

between Everett
Dorrell and Helen Austin.

According to Richard Hammond,

Dorrell had broken off with her.

He had.

Helen Austin worked
as a receptionist

at the Claridge Land Company's
main office on Wilshire.

Now, apparently Dorrell
met Barbara Claridge

through calling
for Helen at work.

Barbara is the daughter
of Marvin Claridge,

chairman of the board. Very
dignified Brentwood society.

Better check on this
Barbara Claridge, Paul.

All right. Oh, one other thing.

My man at headquarters

called not ten minutes
ago with the news

that Dorrell
categorically denies

giving Hammond
$15,000. And the car?

The lab boys are
going over it now.

It's Dorrell's car,
he said he loaned it

to Hammond earlier yesterday.

Find out what happened to
the lights on that car, Paul.

Dig into the dead girl's
past, and dig deep.

Get me all the information
you can on the accident

involving Hammond's
mother and sister

18 months ago.

As though it were a
murder case, Perry?

Just as though.

I'll talk to you later. Okay.

Clara Thorpe to see you.

Remember? Helen Austin's aunt.

Bring her in, Della.

Miss Thorpe.

How do you do, Miss Thorpe?

Won't you sit down? Oh, well.

Thank you.

Now, how can I help you?

Well, just so's you
understand that I understand,

I know you represent
this Richard Hammond.

It's in the afternoon papers.

Actually I was on my way here

when I ran into him
in the hall a while ago.

And I know he's
probably told you

about Helen's $15,000,

and how I wanted
him to hand it back.

Yes, he's told me.

All I want is my rights.

I'm the last and only heir

of my late sister's only child.

I'm referring to Helen.

Her marriage is
all dissolved and all

so I want that money.

So how much will you charge me

to handle it? And how
soon can I get the money?

I'm very ignorant
about these things.

Suppose you tell me about
that money, Miss Thorpe?

Where did Helen get it?

Why, I don't know.

Well, you said
she had it with her

when she left your
apartment last night.

I did?

Did you actually see the money?

What's that got to do
with what I asked you?

What are after, Miss Thorpe?

I told you.

You didn't come here to
engage me as your attorney.

I didn't?

Why did I come here, then?

I suspect to find out how much
I know about you, Helen Austin,

and the accident?

Wrong, Mason.

Then it's the
money you're after,

and you wanted to
tell me something.

That's right, Mason.

I already told you half.

I understood the reference
to Helen Austin's divorce.

How long ago was it?

More than a year ago.

After she met Everett Dorrell.

Where is her former
husband living?

South Vermont 2243, apartment H.

What's his name?
Hill. Alex Hill.

Now suppose you tell me

where that $15,000 came from.

Mason, if I knew that

perhaps I could
find another 15,000

in the same place.

I don't know.

That's why I'm here.

I'm trying to get
you to lead me to it.

Well, Perry?

Well?

What are you going to do?

I'm going to help her.

Hello, Mr. Hill.

Mason, isn't it? Perry Mason?

Uh, I've been reading.

Uh, times are a
little tough lately.

I haven't worked
for four months.

You got a cigarette?

I'm sorry to hear that.

Thanks.

Thank you. That's
an attractive lighter.

I don't know if I've
seen one like it. May I?

Solid gold. Custom made.

Beautiful.

Perhaps you know
why I'm here, Mr. Hill.

Sure, about Helen.

Tell me about her.

Uh, what do you wanna know?

I know almost
everything about her.

I was married to her
for almost four years.

But the only thing
I didn't know was

who the guys were she
was cheating on me with.

Was one of them Everett Dorrell?

Who?

Oh, the lawyer who
handled her divorce.

I don't know, probably.

How could Helen have come by

$15,000, Mr. Hill?

I can't imagine how, Mason,

unless one of her
men gave it to her.

Why?

She was said to have had
that much money in cash

on her last night at
the time of the accident.

And she didn't? No.

How long has it been since
you've seen her, Mr. Hill?

Not since the divorce, Mason.

I have absolutely
no interest in her

alive or dead.

That's a beautiful shirt.

Oh, you like it?

Silk, isn't it? And,
uh, that neck tie...

The tie cost 17.50.

I like nice things, Mason.

I'll go without lunches

to buy a good pair of shoes.

And without cigarettes
to buy a gold lighter?

All right, lieutenant,

do it as a favor for yourself.

If he finds out you're going
to go over that driveway

with a vacuum cleaner,

he may wanna do
something about it.

Mr. Dorrell, didn't Sergeant
Holcomb call you and tell you

that we were going to vacuum
this driveway in the morning

for traces of glass and blood?

You're Perry Mason.

It was a trap.

It seems to have worked.

Well, I think...

I think we'd be more
comfortable inside.

So it might've
happened right here.

You see Dick came
by to ask me for a favor.

He needed money.

Also, he wanted
to borrow my car.

What time was this?

About 9:00.

What I figured, after
your sergeant called,

was that Helen was calling here,

and he might've had the
accident here in my car.

Well, that would've
involved me, so...

Well, I thought it best to
hose down the driveway.

Tampering with evidence.

As an attorney, you
know better than that.

As an attorney, he knows
better than to continue lying too.

I resent that.
You're deliberately

involving a man, a friend, in a
hit and run manslaughter case

of which you're
guilty. That's not true.

Hammond said that...

What did he say, lieutenant?

Didn't he give you his story?

He said he came
here to get the $15,000

that Dorrell
promised to lend him.

That he drove up and found you

right after you hit the woman.

No!

Not true, Dorrell?

No.

Not true that you told Hammond
you'd got a telephone call,

that the headlights on your
car were suddenly not working,

that you struck Helen Austin

because you couldn't see as
you drove down the driveway?

No. Not true.

Why would Hammond
borrow your car

when he had his own, Dorrell?

Well, he didn't have his own.

He said it wasn't working.

Didn't you help him put
Helen Austin's body in his car?

No.

Did you know the
police found bloodstains

on the cushions
of Hammond's car,

bloodstains that match

the dead woman's? No, I didn't.

Or that they did not find
any bloodstains in your car?

When Hammond drove
the body to a deserted street

and called the police,
according to their report,

his car was described

by make and license
on the officer's report.

Now, why would
Hammond borrow your car

and then drive his own car?

All right.

I killed her.

But I couldn't see,
the car lights were out.

I did make the
deal with Hammond.

And you gave him
the 15,000 in cash?

No. I don't know
why he said that.

I didn't give him any
money. I promised to.

All right, lieutenant.

I expect you'll drop the charges

against Hammond now.

You mean the charges
now against him?

Oh, probably will, yes.

Since we're going
to prefer others.

What others? Murder.

Against Hammond?
That's right. First degree.

You see, the girl wasn't killed
on Dorrell's driveway at all.

She had been dead
for at least a half an hour

when Dorrell's car hit her.

How do you connect
Hammond with that?

Well, take that telephone
call that Dorrell got

from a supposed bartender.

Now that was a phony, wasn't it?

Yes.

Well, I figure Richard
Hammond made it.

At five minutes to nine, Mason.

When he had an appointment
with Dorrell here for 9:00,

and he knew Dorrell
would be here.

You mean you think
Hammond killed the girl,

and then deliberately
set out to make it look like

Dorrell had killed
her by accident?

Why sure.

He tampered with the
lights. Hid behind the bushes,

waited for Dorrell's
car to come along,

threw the body in front of it,

ran to the street,
got into his own car,

drove up the driveway,

and made out to be shocked
to discover his friend Dorrell

standing over the dead woman.

But why, lieutenant?

Where is the motive for murder?

How do you connect him
up with the dead woman?

That woman was the
driver of the car which,

a year and a half
ago, killed his sister

and put his mother
in a sanitarium.

I think Hamilton Burger

is going to ask
for a quick hearing.

Counselor.

Death as a result of a
severe blow on the head

by some heavy object.

Some 30 minutes before
the injuries sustained

by the impact of the car.

I see.

Now, doctor, I ask
you if this stone

used as a weapon could
have been the cause of death.

Yes sir, it could.

Thank you, doctor.

Your witness.

No questions.

Seventy-five feet
from the corner

of Sutton and
Windsor on Windsor.

I took the name and
address of the citizen,

and checked the
ownership and license

of the car he was driving.

And what was the
name of the person

who reported what he called

quote, "apparently a
hit-run case," unquote?

Richard Hammond.

Do you see Richard Hammond
in this courtroom today?

Yes, sir. That's
him, the defendant.

Thank you, officer.

Your witness.

No questions.

Eighteen months ago, I
don't know the exact date,

but it was just a few
days after the accident.

I was visiting with Helen

when this Mr. Richard Hammond
came into the hospital room.

I guess he didn't notice me,

but I noticed him all right.

And did Richard Hammond
see Helen Austin, the deceased?

Yes, he did.

And his attorney.

And they talked with her.

They were trying to find out

whose fault the accident was.

What accident are you
referring to, Miss Thorpe?

The one which killed
Mr. Hammond's sister,

seriously injured his mother,

and sent my niece, Helen Austin,

the driver of the other
car, to the hospital.

So Helen Austin
saw and talked to

the defendant, Richard Hammond?

Yes, sir.

I see.

Now, Miss Thorpe, would
you please tell this court

what took place on the evening
of November 18th of this year?

That's the night of the murder.

Well, I got home from
work a little late that night.

I had dinner out.

Helen was on the phone.
She hung up when I came in,

took her coat to go out.

I said "Where you
going?" She said,

"Got a date." I said, "Who?"

And she answered,

"Somebody with $15,000 for me."

Really? What time of the
evening was this, Miss Thorpe?

About 7:30.

I see.

I think that'll be
all, Miss Thorpe.

Thank you very
much. Your witness.

Miss Thorpe, did you see $15,000

in the possession
of the decedent?

No, sir. But she said she
was going to pick it up.

She left the apartment at 7:30.

She wasn't killed until 9,

so she must have had it.

Did she usually pick up
amounts like that from her "dates"?

I don't know.

Do you have an inkling
of who the person was

she expected to
get the money from?

No sir. And don't you
misunderstand me.

I didn't say anybody
did give her money.

Was she very secretive
about her "dates"?

Sometimes. Most
of the time, actually.

The only date I ever knew

was this, uh, Everett Dorrell.

That was real
steady for a while.

Then it stopped.

Did she ever, uh,
mention anyone else?

Any other men's names? Like who?

Oh, Alexander Hill, perhaps?

Oh yeah. Well, yes.

Did she see him
after their divorce?

Not that I know about.

She was married at
the time of the accident,

eighteen months
ago, was she not?

At the time of the ac...?

Yes, she was.

Under what name was she
registered at the hospital?

Mrs. Alexander Hill.

What was the physical appearance

of the decedent at that time?

Oh, she was all
covered with bandages.

Her face too? Oh, yes.

So the defendant then
came to the hospital

and talked with
Mrs. Alexander Hill,

a woman whose
face he could not see?

That's all, Miss Thorpe.

I call Lieutenant
Arthur Tragg, please.

And what were the
results of the tests

on the bloodstains, lieutenant?

The traces on the seat
cushion and the rug

in Mr. Hammond's car

were the same blood
type as the decedent's.

I see.

I show you now this stone,

which has been identified
as a possible lethal weapon,

and I ask if you recognize it.

Yes, sir. That
has my mark on it.

It is the murder weapon.

Traces of, uh, blood
and hair from decedent

were found on it.

And would you tell
this court, please,

where the murder
weapon was found.

In a vacant lot behind
Mr. Hammond's home.

Now lieutenant, on the
morning after the murder,

what did you find in
Mr. Hammond's home?

In a strong box, cash in
the amount of $15,000.

That's interesting.

I think that'll be all,
lieutenant. Thank you.

Cross-examine.

Lieutenant,

has it been established, uh,

or determined where the murder
of Helen Austin took place?

No, no sir.

Was the driveway at
Mr. Everett Dorrell's home

examined for
evidence of the murder?

I object to that, Your Honor.

That's incompetent,
irrelevant and immaterial.

It's also improper
cross-examination

in that it deals with matters
not touched on in direct.

Mr. Mason?

Your Honor,

in view of the statement
that the place of the murder

has not yet been established,

and knowing that the police

made a thorough
examination of this driveway,

we want to know whether
any pertinent evidence

has been found and suppressed,

because that would
enable us to show bias

in the part of this witness.

Objection overruled.
Proceed, Mr. Mason.

I am not going to
pursue this matter

at the present time, Your Honor.

It seems clear to me
that the district attorney

has deliberately ignored
certain aspects of the case.

Defense is going to wait
to see what transpires.

Well, counsel won't have
very long to wait, Your Honor.

The prosecution
believes that for purposes

of this preliminary hearing,

it has proved a murder,

and overwhelmingly
illustrated the probable

guilt of the defendant.

Therefore Your
Honor, the State rests.

Mr. Mason,

it seems to the court
that the prosecution

is entitled to an order
binding the defendant

over to trial. If
the court please,

counsel realizes the defense

doesn't usually put
on its case at this time,

but the unusual
aspects of this case

would seem to
make it an advantage

rather than a disadvantage.

Then you want to put
on a defense, Mr. Mason?

Yes, Your Honor.

But since we did not anticipate
the State resting so early,

defense asks for an adjournment
until tomorrow morning.

So ordered.

This court will recess until
9:30 tomorrow morning.

I can't understand why
Dorrell wasn't in court.

He should've been a principal
witness for the prosecution.

Della, see that subpoenas
are issued for Dorrell,

Barbara Claridge,

Marvin Claridge,

and Mr. Alexander Hill.

You may be seated.

People v. Hammond.

Are you ready to
present the case

for the defense, Mr. Mason?

Yes, Your Honor.

I call Everett
Dorrell to the stand.

Mr. Dorrell, do you know
the defendant in this case,

Richard Hammond? Yes.

Did you make an
arrangement with Mr. Hammond

on the night of
Wednesday, November 18th,

the night of the murder?

Yes.

What was Mr. Hammond
obligated to do?

He was to remove the
body of Helen Austin

to a side street,

call the police and report
her death as a hit-run accident.

Where was the body?

On the driveway.

Please be more explicit.

Under the bumper,

on the pavement near the wheel.

The car had struck her.

Is that what you want me to say?

I want you to
answer the questions.

Now in return for Mr. Hammond
doing this service for you,

what were you
going to do for him?

Lend him $15,000.

But I... Thank you.

Cross-examine.

Mr. Dorrell, did you give or
lend the defendant $15, 000?

No, sir.

And about five minutes to
9 on the night of the murder,

did you receive a phone
call which caused you...

Objection, Your Honor.

Incompetent, irrelevant
and immaterial,

and improper questioning

in that it takes up
matters not part

of the direct
examination. Sustained.

Mr. Dorrell,

did you have an
appointment at 9:00

on the night of the murder with
the defendant at your house...

Objection Your Honor,
on the same grounds.

Your Honor, these
questions are certainly

germane to the
issues in this case.

Your Honor, the prosecution
had the opportunity

of bringing out all
these germane issues

when it presented its case.

The prosecution
chose not to do so.

Sustained. Mr. Burger,

you will confine yourself to
proper cross-examination.

Very well, I have
no further questions

of the witness at this time.

I will bring out what I want
to bring out on rebuttal.

That would be when the
defense is finished with its case.

Naturally, Mr. Mason.

I, uh, call Mr. Alexander Hill.

Alexander Hill take
the stand, please.

You may step down.

Well, it's been more
than a few months

I've been out of work.

More than a few months.

How long has it been, Mr. Hill?

A few years.

Do you recall my visit
to your apartment?

Yes, sir.

Will you tell this court

how much your
cigarette lighter cost?

Oh. It was a gift.

Would you tell this court
what you were wearing?

You mean the silk shirt and tie?

Were they also a gift?

No. I bought them.

I have here a record
of Miss Austin's

bank deposits and withdrawals.

The items I am referring to

go back almost
a year and a half.

On or about the
first of each month

there is a bank
deposit of $2000.

Can you put any light
on this for the court?

No.

On or about the
third of each month,

there is a record
of a bank withdrawal

of $1000. Can you tell the
court anything about this?

No, no.

I think we better
examine your position,

Mr. Hill.

You have not been gainfully
employed for several years,

you wear very expensive clothes,

your former wife had a
secret source of income,

yet you cannot tell this court
anything about any of this?

Your Honor, I object.

Mr. Mason is cross-examining
his own witness.

I've refrained from
objecting up to now,

but I think this has
gone far enough.

Mr. Burger,

the court is interested in
this man's method of support.

He seems to have
found a magic way of life.

If he can tell me the secret,

and it isn't illegal
in some form,

I might like to try it myself.

You can answer
that question, Mr. Hill

where do you get your money?

Helen gave it to me.

I think you'd better
explain that, sir.

I knew that Helen
was seeing other men,

but I never knew who.

She was very tricky about that.

Now, that accident she had

when her car cracked
up and she killed that girl

and hurt the mother?

She wasn't alone in that car.

I could tell the way
she tried to cover up.

She was covering up for
someone who was with her

in the car at that time?

Sure. That's how she
got the 2000 every month.

And your one thousand?

She gave it to me because...

Well, to keep me quiet.

Who was the man?

I don't know,

but the only man I ever
found out she was seeing was

Mr. Everett Dorrell.

Thank you, Mr. Hill.

Cross-examine.

I have no questions of
this witness, Your Honor.

But in view of his testimony,

if the defense has no objection,

I would like to interrupt
his case at this time

for the purpose of
calling Mr. Everett Dorrell

as a rebuttal witness.

No objection.

Very well, Your Honor.
I call Everett Dorrell.

Mr. Dorrell,

were you involved in an accident

in Helen Austin's car

and were you paying
her to cover up that fact?

No, sir. I was not in the
car, nor in any accident

with the decedent, and I
did not give her any money.

And you did not give the
defendant any money either?

No, sir. I've already told you
the extent of our agreement.

Thank you, Mr. Dorrell.
Your witness.

Mr. Dorrell,

when you made that agreement
with Richard Hammond,

you knew Helen Austin

was the driver of the
car which killed his sister,

didn't you? Yes.

And you knew that
Richard didn't know her

as Helen Austin,
but as Mrs. Alex Hill?

Yes.

And he didn't
recognize her, either.

Well, I can only apologize
for that. I was desperate.

Why were you desperate?

Well, I didn't want
Barbara to know.

I didn't want her
father to find out.

They'd never have believed
I wasn't still seeing Helen.

Yet you told them
both the next morning.

Well, Dick had gotten
into trouble by that time.

I... I wanted to tell the truth.

Yes, I remember.

Then Marvin Claridge
put pressure on you.

Marvin Claridge is still

putting pressure
on you, isn't he?

No. No.

How did your car get
to Richard's garage?

I don't know.

Isn't it true that you did
give Richard Hammond

that $15,000? No.

Then did you give the
money to Helen Austin?

To Helen? No.

She was to pick up $15,000.

Wasn't it from you? No!

Weren't you the one
in her car at the time

of that accident 18 months ago?

And haven't you been paying her

a monthly tribute
for her silence?

No! No?

And who could
it be, Mr. Dorrell?

Who could the mysterious
passenger have been,

the one she's
protected all this time?

Well, I don't
know. It wasn't me.

Then who was paying Helen Austin

$2000 a month for
her silence, Mr. Dorrell?

Now from whom was Helen
going to get that $15,000?

All right.

From the only one
it could have been...

Marvin Claridge.

I'm sorry, sir. I lied for you.

I lied about giving Richard
Hammond the money.

I did give it to him.

I love Barbara, but...

If this means I
can't have her...

I'm sorry.

Helen worked for him.

Even when she was
going out with me

she was seeing him.

Thank you, Mr. Dorrell.

Will Mr. Claridge
please take the stand.

Yes, I gave her $2000
the first of every month.

Since the accident? Yes.

Then the money
was blackmail money,

and you were the
mysterious passenger.

Yes.

I don't like to
think of it like that.

She never threatened me
with exposing our... affair.

But perhaps that was
one of the things I found

so fascinating about Helen.

That we understood
each other so well.

I just increased the regular

amount of money
I was giving her.

So that it became a
rather large regular amount.

Yes. And then she asked you

for a rather large
lump sum, $15,000.

She said she needed
it desperately, she...

Well, she demanded it.

And you gave it to her?

No.

Why not?

Peculiarly enough,
Everett, uh, Mr. Dorrell,

asked to borrow
that exact amount.

In giving it to Everett,

I thought Helen could
wait until the next day.

But she didn't care to wait?

Well, she was angry.

So you killed her then?

No, Mr. Mason.

I didn't kill her
then or any time.

When she told
you that she needed

the $15,000 desperately,
did she tell you why?

Yes. I asked her

what she did with
$2000 every month,

and she said she was
giving half of it away.

And that now, to keep the man
who was preying on her quiet,

she had to give him a lump sum.

Did she tell you that the
man who was blackmailing her

was her former husband,
Mr. Alexander Hill?

No. MASON: Then, Mr. Claridge,

it could have been someone else

who was blackmailing her?

It's not likely. Why not?

Because Mr. Alexander
Hill approached me himself

the day after Helen
was murdered.

Thank you.

That'll be all, Mr. Claridge.

Your Honor, may I continue?

Well, Mr. Hill?

Mr. Hill, you will
please take the stand.

She was a cheat all her life.

Even when it didn't
make any difference

cheating or not
cheating, she'd cheat.

Right at the very end
there I even thought

that maybe she'd got that
15 grand and was lying.

You'd followed
her to Claridge's?

Yeah.

You finally found out
who she was blackmailing,

and you didn't need her anymore.

The cheat. The cheat!

You made a pretty good pair.

Why did Helen give
Alex Hill half of the money

that Claridge gave her?

He threatened to
go to Claridge's wife

and blow the whole
affair wide open.

I still can't figure out
why he picked on me.

Unfortunately,
you arrived on time.

On time?

Hill couldn't leave Dorrell's
because your headlights

caught him as you
drove up the driveway.

He had to stay. He was trapped.

Then, of course,
he was glad he did,

because he heard
everything that took place.

And took advantage of it.

Well, I can't tell you how
glad I am to be out of trouble.

Oh, you're not out yet.

Both you and Dorrell
will have to face charges

of tampering with evidence

and obstructing
police procedure.

I'm quite willing to
pay for what I've done.

Can I drop you any
place, Mr. Hammond?

Oh, thank you.

Good night, Mr. Mason.

Night, Dick. Miss Street.

Good night.

And now are you quite willing
to pay for what you've done?

What have I done?

You've tampered
with my digestion

and obstructed my feeding
procedure for quite some time.

I plead guilty. What's the fine?

One dinner. Mm.

Payable now.